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“I know you will. I like you, Andrews. You always give us a wonderful product.”
He gave Mr Vanderbilt a tight smile before stepping back and ushering me towards the door. I waved politely before following his direction and leading the way out. Once we were safely ensconced in the elevator, we both let out a heavy sigh.
“That… was exhausting. No wonder you have to work so hard.”
He chuckled lightly. “They’re not all that difficult. I probably wouldn’t put up with him if his products weren’t so important. If we can bring his design into fruition, it can help a lot of people.”
I’ll say. They were looking at an insulin injector that was more streamlined and easier to use. While price hadn’t been discussed yet since they didn’t know how much it would cost to produce, it was in the contract that they would endeavor to make it as affordable as possible. It was one of my favorite things about this company. Mr Andrews wouldn’t take on a client unless they agreed to make their products affordable for everyone. It meant that he didn’t always get the big investors like he wanted, but he refused to take away from those in need in order to get a payout. Just like he wouldn’t work with mass manufacturers without them agreeing to proper treatment and pay of employees. Mr Andrews was a businessman, but he wouldn’t sacrifice his morals for his work, and I felt proud to be working for him.
On the drive back, we went over my notes, rewriting them into something more concrete. The notes would be handed off to the legal department so that they could write up a contract before being brought to Mr Andrews for a final review and sign off.
“I really appreciate you being there. Normally, I’d be forced to write up the report based on his notes, and they can get rather confusing.” He handed me the paperwork Mr Vanderbilt had provided, and I winced. They were all hand written and mostly illegible.
“Yikes. That would give anyone a headache trying to comb through. I was happy to be there, Mr Andrews. I don’t mind eating a little later if it spares you a headache down the line.”
He gave me a soft smile. “Thank you, Julie. I hope you know how valued you are here.”
When we arrived back at the office, he held my door open for me. Before he could go straight back to his office, I blocked him and crossed my arms, raising my eyebrows.
“We’re supposed to meet Bennett in the cafeteria, remember? I already texted him in the car.”
He looked like he was fighting back a grin. “Is it wrong that I was hoping you forgot? I noticed you picked up the Peterson project as we left and–”
“And I will be more than willing to give it to you. After lunch.”
His eyebrows shot up, and he smirked. “Miss Summers, are you holding my project for ransom to get me to eat lunch?”
I giggled. “It seems I am. After you, Mr Andrews.” I gestured in the direction of the cafeteria, snickering at his indulgent smile. I would never have dared be so pushy with my last boss. He would have bitten my head off for it. Mr Andrews was kind, though, and in a good mood after the meeting, so he went along with my demands. Bennett was already at a table, looking down at his phone, but he looked up when Mr Andrews nudged his shoulder.
“How’d it go?”
“It went great. She was a great asset and hopefully we won’t have too many redraws before he’s happy,” Mr Andrews replied with a smile.
I beamed at him, but before I could reply, a familiar cologne overtook my senses. “Hey, babe. You’re later than I thought.”
Spinning around, I shot Alan an apologetic look. “Yes, I’m sorry. The client was particular, and I asked a lot of questions to make sure my notes were correct.”
Alan looked a little annoyed, and I felt really guilty. I knew he was busy, but he made time for me even after I was already late. I wanted to text him to let him know, but I thought that was rude in the middle of a meeting and I didn’t want to miss anything important.
He lifted his gaze above my head, and his smile came back. “Good afternoon, Mr Andrews. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Alan Richards. I’m a project manager on the fourteenth floor.”
Mr Andrews shook his hand politely. “Nice to meet you, Alan.”
I bounced on my toes, hoping getting to talk to the CEO was enough to settle Alan’s mood. “I promised Alan I’d have lunch with him. I hope you don’t mind.”
Mr Andrews shook his head. “It’s fine. I have business to discuss with Bennett anyway. Enjoy your lunch, Julie. Alan.”
Once we were out of earshot, Alan took my elbow and tugged lightly. “Come on. I grabbed you a salad.”
Forcing a smile, I followed him to a table in the middle of the cafeteria. I liked eating near the windows, Luka was right that they were the best, but Alan didn’t enjoy sitting in the sun. He said it was too hot even though the windows were tinted.
The salad he’d grabbed for me was prepackaged and he didn’t grab any dressing. I went to stand to grab something to put on it, but Alan stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, I was just going to grab some dressing.”
He made a face, and embarrassment swept through me. Alan was diligent at helping me stick to my diet and he only wanted to help, but it was still embarrassing just how easily I forgot about it.
